Methodology
.IPSW files are the most robust and reliable method to upgrade/downgrade your iPod. You may restore from an .IPSW file in iTunes using ⇧ Shift+Restore with an iPod plugged into your system, navigating and selecting the .IPSW file and iTunes will deploy your firmware of choice onto your iPod.
The second best alternative to an .IPSW file is to use an iPod updater. Updaters are bundles of iPod firmware(s) accessible through a GUI packaged by Apple to issue updates and behave ultimately the same as .IPSW file. A more comprehensive list of iPod updaters can be found on it's respective article.
Older iPod firmware that is not longer seeded by Apple nor packaged in an updater can be sourced through iPod OS filesystem dumps from existing iPod devices which have yet to update from their respective versions. Such firmware is most often identified by a .bin
file extension.
.bin
image files prefixed with must be installed iPodWizard.
.bin
image files prefixed with must be logically dumped onto an iPod using the dd utility.
Firmware List
You may find various sources and types of firmware for your iPod below. Firmware files are categorized as follows:
- iPod_
Model Number
.Version Number
.ipsw or...
- iPod_
Model Number
.Version Number
.bin
- e.g. iPod_4.1.2.1.ipsw refers to: a firmware file for a 4th generation iPod, containing version number 1.2.1 and it is an .IPSW file, indicating it can be restored in iTunes.
Credits
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Credit to u/UKMATTNZ
- ↑ Credit to Discord user Cosmic#0782
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Credit to u/Shahid89
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Credit to Discord user Archimedes#0157
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Credit to u/NekoMichi